Understanding Culturally Curious Visitors

Who are the Culturally Curious?

• They choose their holiday destinations carefully and are independent ‘active sightseers’ looking to visit new places, and expand their experience by exploring landscapes, history and culture. They are unlikely to return for some time once they have visited a new place, and often travel in a couple or as individuals and rarely in a family group. The age group for this demographic is 40 plus.

What do they want from their holiday?

• • The Culturally Curious visitor is interested in all that a place has to offer, and are attracted to authentic travel.They love to delve deeper into the history of a location, and crave unusual experiences and enjoy connecting with nature and wandering off the beaten track.

What don’t they want from a holiday?

• • To party; to see things they’ve seen before; to do package trips, ‘laid on’ activities or to be told what to do.

Where are they most likely to be seen?

• • • Exploring landscapes – Megalithic or early Christian relics
    • In castles, gardens, museums, country houses and art galleries
    • On literary tours, UNESCO sites, visitor centres, browsing for books to deepen their experience
    • Enjoying good food and wine, particularly local specialities
    • At unique local festivals and events
    • Walking, cycling, or pleasure boating to explore a new place

How long are they likely to stay and where?

• • Culturally Curious are most likely to stay in a hotel, self-catering accommodation or a B&B as long as there’s a lot to see. They will usually choose somewhere with access to scenery and good walks. They are three times more likely to take long breaks than average but they also take more short breaks than average, both at home and overseas. They are unlikely to return for a while unless a destination is truly diverse, preferring to move on to new discoveries.

What are they likely to pay for?

• • • Something that is out of the ordinary
    • Superior service – “people recognise me by name”
    • Interested – “knows me, knows what I want”
    • A human guide that offers real insight into the history of a place
    • Environmentally friendly features

What makes a great food and drink experience for them?

• • • Get the best table and be well looked after
    • Peace and quiet with good wine and food
    • Classic Irish menu with a twist
    • Good quality food because “I’m looking after my health”
    • Personalised service where people call me “Mr. …..”
    • Mid morning breakfast “so I can sleep in …”

What are their media habits?

• • • Their use of social media is growing
    • Medium to heavy TV which drives some online search
    • Lighter internet usage – preference for search rather than social media
    • Newspapers are prominent
    • Radio is important

Are there differences between Culturally Curious markets?

• • Across the four main markets, patterns and key motivations for the Culturally Curious demographic are more alike than different.
    • Read and compare the Culturally Curious sample profiles

How can I adapt my business to the Culturally Curious visitor?

• • Ask yourself:
    • How does my business fit the Culturally Curious motivations?
    • What does my business offer that meets the specific wants of this segment?
    • What delivers on their desire to discover and learn about Irish culture?
    • What helps them connect with local culture and learn about local stories?
    • What allows them to immerse themselves in Ireland?

Where can I find out more?

• Download the global segmentation toolkit and learn how to use the research to increase international sales for your tourism business [pdf, 4.1MB].

Article shared from Failte Ireland

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